If you recall, Patrick installed a set of loaner stock seats when I picked up Ernie because the new ones weren't ready yet.

 

 

I'll be the first to admit that seats are one of those things that I got a little obsessive about, and I've been through several different sets over the years between Kermit and Ernie. I've had e21 Recaros, e30 sports, vintage Scheel-Mann/ASS, Procar Rally, stock seats, and most recently, NOS Flo-fit seats. But the ones I kept coming back to for fit and looks were the Procar Rally seats.

 

So when it came time to buy new seats for Ernie, I decided to get a set of custom upholstered Rally seats made. It helps that the seats are relatively inexpensive compared to other high-end brand names. I'm into the pair of Procars for the price of a single new Recaro. Not bad.

 

 

Over the years, I've done a lot of research on interior fabrics. I've always been partial to the old VW GTI tartan plaid interiors, and absolutely love the interiors that Singer has been doing for their Porsche builds. When the time came to make a decision on the interior for Ernie's rebuild, I knew I wanted some type of plaid inserts, but I wasn't sure how colorful I wanted to go.

 

 

After obsessing over multiple options (see reference links at the end of this) and ordering several swatches, I decided that, because Ernie is already a loud Inka Orange, I would go with a more classic and subdued interior. I ended up selecting a classic Prince of Wales, Glenn Plaid pattern from a fabric shop out of Scotland. 

https://www.scotlandshop.com/us/fabric-guide/car-upholstery-guide

 

 

Next, Procar has a custom upholstery service direct from the factory. You can call them up and they will work with you to come up with the design of your choice, and apply it to any of the seat models they have for sale. 

https://procarbyscat.com/custom/

 

I went with one of their standard Rally seats with houndstooth inserts, but had them switch out the default fabric with the Glenn Plaid fabric I had purchased. While these seats are more widely associated with American muscle and pony cars, I felt that they still had a classic, period appearance to them and with the addition of the plaid, a certain European flair. 

 

 

The seats turned out better that I could have hoped for. They're super supportive and look fantastic. I really like how the plaid picks up the color of the salt and pepper carpet. I think it ties everything together nicely. 

 

 

Next up:

I've got the seats currently mounted using the Procar sliders and adapter that came with the seats. Unfortunately, this set up makes the seats sit way too tall in the car. So, it's back to Patrick's to fabricate some custom adapters that will utilize the factory BMW sliders and bring the seats down to the factory height. 

 

 

After that, and when my local upholstery shop reopens after the pandemic, I'll have the back bench reupholstered to match the front seats. 

 

For those looking for inspiration and references, here are several of the links to interior fabrics that I looked at:

http://www.worlduph.com/

https://www.bmwfabric.com/fabric

http://www.steenbuck-web.de/mercedes_polster_Karo3.htm

https://westtrading.nl/

https://cabrio.de/de/

https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/design-plaid-and-check.aspx?application=upholstery

https://www.lochcarron.co.uk/strome-tartan/

https://m.yourautotrim.com/hoaufa.html

https://www.ebay.com/str/upholsterytrimsupply

https://www.autobahninteriors.com/

https://thescottishweaver.com/

https://www.tmiproducts.com/

https://www.archiproducts.com/en/products/dedar/cotton-upholstery-fabric-prince-of-wales_129362

https://transporterhq.co.uk/vw-transporter-parts-styling-accessories/upholstery/transporter-hq-golf-gti-style-tartan-upholstery-orange-gto/

https://www.moodfabrics.com/aqua-orange-and-black-glen-plaid-wool-suiting-312098